Silence of the Darkness
by KAM wuz here
Summary: "You have no power over me." Silence. Silence so intense, so thick it could have been cut with a blade. Would the fresh slice bleed? Would she simply see something hiding in it? Something she wouldn't like? "Precious Sarah...I beg to differ." ONE-SHOT


Sarah couldn't sleep.

For the same exact reason she hadn't really slept the night before. Or the night before that. Or the night before that. Or the night before that.

_"Sarah…"_

She had no desire to even contemplate the hour. That was why—or at least part of the reason why—she had thrown her alarm clock against the wall. She didn't want to see the time. Didn't want to think about the time. Didn't want to realize that too soon the sun would be rising and so would she also be forced to rise, and, well…. There was a reason she sometimes smelt like she bathed in coffee every morning.

_"Sarah…"_

She tossed and she turned in her little bed, in her little bedroom, in her little apartment. The bed creaked in protest, and the springs underneath dug painfully into her sides and back. That was the least of her worries however. The room was dark, and warm, and that she was certainly thankful for as the frigid outside wind whooshed past her window.

But the fact was that she _just couldn't sleep_.

_"Sarah…"_

No one else in Sarah's position would ever get even a wink of sleep. Not with that voice whispering in her mind. _In her mind_. That voice so ghostly, and daunting, and sultry, and commanding….

_"Don't defy me."_

That voice that never, ever went away.

_"You're no match for me, Sarah."_

Sarah rolled over onto her back with a huff, and shoved a pillow down onto her face. She momentarily considered smothering herself to death. She screamed into it.

She could almost hear that laugh.

_"Sarah…Sarah…Sarah."_

She removed the pillow from her face, hugging it to her chest instead. She stared up at her dark ceiling. It was not dark enough for her. She saw a face. She squeezed her eyes shut. In vain. The image was forever burned into her mind, burned into the inside of her eyelids.

_"Time is short."_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sarah shouted desperately, not caring if the neighbors called the police, not caring if she sounded insane, and certainly not caring about time.

It was usually about this time in the middle of that night that she starting wishing for the sun, waiting near-tears for the morning. The voice, the laugh, and the face never bothered her from the time the sun broke over the horizon to the time the last rays of twilight receded completely. What bothered her during that time was the anticipation of dealing with the night. She dreaded it. It was pure torture. The thought of dreams terrified her. There was horror to be awaited in the darkness.

And, as she then quickly found out, there was torture, terror, and horror alike to be found in the silence.

From the moment the scream of rage and hopelessness left her lips and slightly resounded in her ears before it died, there was complete silence. Silence accompanied with total stillness. And the room seemed to grow colder, and darker.

It was the first time she had silence in a very long time. This realization appealed to her and repelled her. Perhaps for once, she could get some sleep. But she didn't want to go to sleep anymore. She wanted the sun, and her coffee, and to trudge through the snow to her crappy job of waiting tables that paid just enough to let her keep her apartment. She was afraid to go to sleep. She feared something sinister waiting patiently and beckoningly for her to do just that.

But the silence was too inviting, as much as it was repulsive. The silence embraced her like a blanket. A blanket like darkness. It whispered to her soothingly and wickedly to sleep in a voice that left her incapable of disobedience. There was a promise of some 'reward' awaiting her when she complied. And she could feel herself slipping. She couldn't even pretend that she was wide-awake like she fought to be. She knew that she her eyes were getting heavier. Her mind was becoming more dethatched to the world around her.

Unfortunately that meant that her mind was just floating around, doing no business but its own. It was exposed. It was made an easy target to snatch up by some other force, easy to be captured, and held, and influenced to anything else's desire. And it would have no choice but to obey.

And it was to her last will to protest that her mind was seized by another world, one that she was all too familiar with, yet one that was too surreal, and one filled with strangeness in vivid detail.

But was that a feeling of peace growing inside her chest? That feeling so lovely that she wanted to nuzzle into it like she would bury her nose into a bouquet of roses, to appreciate it, and to let it envelope her wholly?

Could it possibly be that she was satisfied with the silence? And content with the darkness? And ready to surrender to the incessant and welcoming summon of sleep?

_"Look. Look at what I'm offering you. Your dreams."_

_"You're him, aren't you?"_

Sarah frowned. That was her own voice. She didn't recall saying anything. She was sure if she tried to say anything, her mouth wouldn't be able to form the shape correct for pronouncing words. She was just too tired.

_"Through dangers untold—"_

_"Sarah…."_

_"—and hardships unnumbered—"_

_"Don't defy me."_

_"—I have fought my way here—"_

_"How about upping the stakes then?"_

_"—for my will is as strong—"_

_"There's such a sad love…deep in your eyes, precious Sarah."_

_"—and my kingdom as great—"_

_"Do as I say…."_

_"You have no power over me."_

Silence. Silence so intense and thick it could have been cut with a blade. Would the fresh slice bleed? Would she simply see something through it on the other side? See something hiding in it? Something that she wouldn't like?

_"Precious Sarah…I beg to differ."_

Sarah gasped as her eyes snapped open and she shot upright. She found herself sitting in snow. She was staring up at a black sky that looked like it was trying to spread over everything like a dark stain, already finished engulfing the stars and trying to swallow the moon. She was not cold. But was numb. The snow might as well have been warm.

She stood.

She was wearing a dress. It was midnight blue, shivering in a gentle wind and shimmering. If there weren't cloud in the sky, that's what the sky might have looked like. She was barefooted, but the dress reached the ground. It was sleeveless, and hugged her waist, long blue ribbons tied around it rippling down the dress.

Her apartment was far behind her, a single building bracing alone against a snow storm. In front of her, a vast forest stretched out as far as she could see. She lived in New York City. Never before was there nothing but forest in front of her apartment building. There was supposed to be a whole city more of buildings.

Nothing but shadows could be seen between the trees and bushes that loomed, and reached out like twisted creatures as if wanting to overtake more of their surroundings. At first sight, it was a forest never to be entered, but its undergrowth beckoned to passers-by.

Suddenly, a dim light grew from within in the forest, gliding across the trees. Sarah started walking towards to, narrowing her eyes with curiosity. Branches and thorns caught her skirts, firmly, like they wanted to forever hold her captive. She pulled her dress from their grasps and kept on walking determinedly after the faint, blue light. A ball of light. Something light mist. Like energy. Like magic.

Laughter flitted into her ears. Soft, delicate laughter. Innocent like children's laughter. Ringing and sweet like music.

That was music she was hearing.

Soft music, sad and mellow and haunting and delighted all at the same time. Wispy music, light, like the wind. Floating on the wind. Flute music.

And singing.

_Answer the summon, follow the sound  
Search deeper the forest  
Listen to our voices  
Far are you, closer is the Underground_

Sarah couldn't see anything in the forest but the glow of the blue light. Then there was another light. Red light. And another. And another. Yellow. Purple. Green. Pink.

_With a wicked vice, we beckon_  
_The lost find the guiding light_  
_Twilight is our strongest weapon_  
_—does it give you a fright?_

But wait—…. Those new lights were not like the blue mist ball. These were fairies. They were singing. They were dancing. Their lithe little limbs were graceful like ballet dancers, if not more graceful. Their beating wings created a soft hum that accompanied the music nicely.  
_  
A princess glowing of mystique  
Is the purity we seek  
A Queen for the Labyrinth  
Caged in a fragrant perianth_

They were beckoning to her, leading her on. Leading her through the forest. She followed without a thought, entranced.

_Far are you, closer is the Underground_  
_Be swift, for time is short_  
_The magic awaits you, all around_  
_Answer the summons, quickly depart_

They laughed and hastily, abruptly, scattered off. Sarah was left with the blue light. She stumbled into a circle of trees. The blue light slowly dissipated. She was left in darkness for only a moment, because a blazing fire rose in the middle of the circle. The fairies were dancing around it.

Sarah slowly turned to her right, as if knowing something was there, staring at her. She was right.

He stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the fire, like stepping straight out of her worst nightmares, straight out of her darkest visions. Every detail was as she remembered. _Was as she never forgot_.

His tall, lean physique held regally but somewhat cat-like, coiled to pounce for the kill. His thin lips twisted up on one side into a predatory grin, his unusually long canines gleaming. His eyes, beneath dark upswept eyebrows, his mismatched eyes, were slightly narrowed as he stared at her. They were pools of lust, intense, and with a familiar wicked gleam. His flaxen hair was a complete disarray, the ends hanging long and straight, wisps flying out in the wind. He was clothed in white. Pants, boots, shirt, gloves, and cloak all brilliantly white. Almost to match his pale skin. The only expectation of color was the design in his cloak, gold trailing up it like creeping vines with an elegant fashion. Then there was his royal pendent, laying on his exposed chest.

"You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King."

Sarah, for some reason, was not at all surprised to hear herself say this.

He wordlessly tilted his head to one side, his smirk broadening. He began to approach her.

The entire circle came to life as he moved. The grass beneath his boots stretched and recoiled. The leaves rustled, as if meaning to shake themselves off the branches to dance around the flames as well. The vines above their heads and entangled around tree trunks slowly moves like snakes, becoming thicker, curling towards him like they meant to touch him but wouldn't dare. They grew beautiful flowers and dangerous thorns.

He reached Sarah, standing inches away from her. Without removing his eyes from hers—owl's eyes, with a gaze that kept her rooted in that spot—he beckoned to the tree beside them with a gloved hand. A vine crackled as it slithered its way over to him, catching his hand and twisting around it, like it would to a tree branch.

His eyes darted down so he could watch his work, his hands moving swiftly as he began crafting something from the vine. "You know, Sarah," he said, his voice just as it always sounded in her mind and dreams, "time is short. I've wasted too much of it. That's why I warn you. Time is precious. It should not be wasted. It has been six years, two months, and five days since you last stood before me. Two-thousand two-hundred fifty-seven days. Fifty-four thousand one-hundred and sixty-eight hours. Three-million two-hundred and fifty-thousand and eighty minutes. One-hundred and ninety-five million and somewhat _torturous _seconds, princess. And you have _wasted it all _by refusing to even think my name. I don't know about you now, but _I _am exhausted from waiting."

He carefully examined his project. He was weaved a vine diadem, elegant and elaborate. He waved a hand over it, and several roses bloomed.

"Why do you continuously defy me, _Sarah_?" he purred, hissing her name. "Every night a struggle. Even now, defiance. What is the purpose?"

Sarah huffed out a shaky breath. "No. You can't be real. I have to be dreaming you. Everything about you was a dream."

He laid a hand over his chest, mocking offense. "Precious, had I a heart, it would be broken. Do not deny me. I am very much real…and I would be _happy_ to prove it."

Sarah just shook her head.

His eyes narrowed. "I _will _hear you say it. Soon, you _will_ acknowledge how real I am. And you'll regret not acknowledging it sooner."

"Your threats don't scare me, Goblin King," she said. She meant for her voice to be strong, but it was almost breathless. She didn't let it stop her. "I'm not a kid anymore. You have no pow—"

He silenced her with a finger against her lips. He leaned in to whisper to her, his voice creeping over her ear like a spider and inducing a shudder. "I think you'll find that I very much do."

"Don't," she said. "Things have changed from that last time, but not _that _much."

He _tsk_ed disappointedly and circled closely around her, the soft velvet of his cloak caressing her bare arms. "You know as well as I do that nothing has changed, precious. I am still Master of the Labyrinth, King of the Goblins, Weaver of Dreams and Nightmares, and Fulfiller of Wishes. I am Power and Desire and Darkness. And I am hallow…and lonely…bitter…. Let's not forget I am villain. Secretly—but not really secretly—I yearn for a heroine." He lightly twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and let it drop. "You, princess, yearn to be that heroine. You want to feel adored by all, valiant, and brilliant. You want to defeat the villain. You're lost in the world, just as lonely, frightened. Like a child. Secretly—but not _that _secretly—you feel an unexplainable desire for the villain." He smirked cruelly and slipped a silky finger down her cheek.

She jerked her head away from him. "As _if_," she hissed. "I don't desire anything of you, Goblin King. And by the way, don't sit yourself so high on that horse with all those titles, Your Majesty."

He sighed. "Dear child, open your eyes. You're still under the impression that I am nothing but the villain. Villainous, of course. Malicious, with every intent. Mischievous, and wicked, and cruel, all for my own amusement. Why not? But I am much more than that."

"Yeah," she muttered, "you left out _fop_."

She briefly caught anger flash in his expression, but he controlled himself and continued as though he hadn't heard her. "How you exhaust me, precious thing. But I am very capable of living up to your expectations. My very existence and power centers around knowing exactly what people desire. Their darkest desire, that is. You have extremely high expectations that have never changed. You were just too innocent one-hundred and ninety-five million and somewhat seconds ago to realize what you really wanted."

She glared at him. "Humor me," she said flatly. "What is it I want?"

He flashed a feral smile. "Allow me to show you."

His fingers slowly trailed down her arm, and she went rigid. His fingers began curling around her hand. A feeling like an electric shock snapped her out of her stupor (which was, in fact, a growing feeling of yearning in her stomach). She quickly seized her hand with the other and held them protectively beneath her chin.

"You're not _showing me _anything," she said fiercely. "I don't move from this spot. Unless you're taking me home."

"I'm not," he assured.

"Fine." She spun, and started off in the other direction. "I found my way here, I can find my way back."

Before she could reach the light's edge, dozens of fairies swarmed her. "No, no, no, don't go, don't go." "Stay with us, stay with us." "Don't leave yet, not yet, a little longer, a little longer." "Our Queen, our Queen, don't leave us, don't leave us." They were surprisingly strong for their size. They pushed and pulled Sarah back towards the fire, taking pleasure in then spinning her around and around and around…. They continued dancing, but Sarah was too dizzy. She lost her balance and fell back into the plush grass. The fairies threw petals around her. The world above her spun, and spun, and spun….

A blurry Jareth came into her view. The falling blonde locks of his hair tickled her face. His hair was feather soft.

"I assure you, Sarah," he said, "you have no hope of finding your way back on your own. Besides, not I, nor the fairies, will let you leave."

"Why?" she half-moaned, shaking her head. Or trying to shake her head. The dizziness didn't go away, her head only lolled to the side.

Jareth slipped his hand under her cheek to turn her head back straight. Her eyes found his.

"Because all here want something, and no one has begun compromising yet."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Jareth helped her sit up, continuing to crouch in front of her.

"You lost and lonely girl," he breathed. "You only hurt yourself by denying me. You should have called me long ago. Or better yet, stayed with me when I begged you to. Yes, _beg_," he said, his voice hardening, at Sarah's expression. "'Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.' I did all but sunk to my knees, and I thought I would very much have to in the next minute. But the matter is that you shouldn't have denied me. Now look at yourself. What is your life?"

Sarah didn't answer. Honestly, she didn't have much of a life. Everything she tried out for had failed. And she was still so young. Not long after her return from the Labyrinth did her father lose his job. It took him too long to find one. She didn't have enough money for college; she went for a year. She had seven jobs prior to her current waitressing job, she had been fired from them all. Her dreams had been forgotten.

The Goblin King knew it all.

"You certainly would not be living how you are now if you stayed with me. Cruel I am, my dear, but not that much to let you go on this way any longer. Lost and lonely…. You are so young. So lost. Let me guide you. Let me make you into what you were meant to be."

_"Look."_

"What are you saying?" Sarah whispered.

_"Look at what I'm offering you._"

"Be mine," he nearly growled, lips at her ear.

_"Your dreams."_

Sarah roughly shoved him away and staggered to her feet. He was on his feet in one fluid motion.

"I told you, I don't want _anything _from _you_."

He raised an eyebrow. "But you came to me. And you would not have came to me if you did not want something. Last time is was your baby brother. This time…." He smiled. "Princess, our first meeting was only the beginning. Just the beginning. And your journey did not end when you defeated the Labyrinth and retrieved your brother. Your journey will never end."

"It's my journey; it ends when I decide."

He laughed darkly. "Au contraire, it ends when _I_ decide. I may have no power over you in a sense, but I have power of your dreams and all your surroundings. I have no power over your mind; any decisions you make are of your own free will, but what will you decide if I freeze time permanently? I warn you, this is a much more dangerous game than the Labyrinth."

Sarah nodded tightly. "And what is it you're trying to win."

"Nothing at stake."

"What do you _want_?"

"What _I _want." He raised the vine diadem in his hands to bring Sarah's attention to it. "As I said—and I do so hate repeating myself—I only want to make you into what you were meant to be. Just as the fairies gathered here want to make you Princess of the Fairy Forest, I want you to be my Queen. Queen of the Labyrinth."

Sarah was too stunned to even do anything when Jareth placed the diadem on her head. She felt the slight pressure of it against her skull, felt it weaving into her hair, and dimly recognized the feeling of thorns cutting her scalp.

"How does that sound?"

The fairies rejoiced around them. "She wears the crown, she wears the crown! The Princess in the twilight gown! Eyes like grass, and hair like night; beauty the envy of a rose sprite!" They were a whirl of wild colors zipping around them. Sarah felt faint.

"No," she choked out. "No, I won't be your Queen."

"Are are insufferable," he said blandly. "I've made that offer to no one. No one else would deny it. No one else would deny me. That's why it must be you. Champion of the Labyrinth, the one and only. Neither the Labyrinth or I have ever been defeated before. Your will is as strong. You are the only one who has ever proven to have a will as strong, therefore proving yourself the only one suitable as my equal."

"I say no!" she said viciously. "You can have any other woman, I'm sure, Your Royal Arrogance. You don't need _me_ to rule your kingdom."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean by having any other woman. Of course, I'll fuck a woman whenever I please."

She flinched at his tone.

"I will not, however, take a lesser woman as my wife. And I certainly will not make any brainless woman I've known Queen of my kingdom. I would rather make one of the goblins my Queen, traditionalwedding and all, including the scandalous wedding _night_."

She grimaced. "Ack! Too much information, Goblin King."

"I agree." He smirked and purred, "It would be much more pleasurable with _you _than any_thing_ else."

Her breath caught.

His expression turned suddenly rueful. "My precious _Sarah_, I know exactly what you need. Right now, it is _time_. And I will give it to you. You have thirteen days to contemplate my offer."

_"Time is short."_

"Regardless of whether you accept or not, you will see me again as soon as the last second of your time is up. In courtesy of your contemplation, you will sleep easy all thirteen nights." He grinned. "Well…your insomnia will not be _my _doing, at least."

Her eyes widened in horror. "So you _are _messing with me at night?"

"Of course," he said unabashedly.

"You _bastard_!"

He chuckled. "Ah. I am no one's child, therefore I am not a bastard."

She opened her mouth to rebuke, but she couldn't get any words out.

Jareth's lips where on hers, preventing her from doing such things.

She practically went limp in his arms, closing her eyes. His mouth on hers felt so light, like a feather caressing her, even though he was kissing with fervor. His tongue running over her lips sent a shock through her. His breath was sweet, complete intoxication. Yes, in fact, his kiss left her feeling completely drunk.

She opened her eyes to find his looked very self-satisfied. He brushed the back on his hand over her cheek.

"Next time"— his voice was huskier —"it will be much more real than that."

Her eyebrows drew together in puzzlement. "That wasn't real?" God, and how _her_ voice sounded….

"In a sense. This is only a dream, you know. And now it's time for you to wake up."

"Dream?" she echoed. "Wake up? _What?_"

He nodded. "Quickly, I should think. Best before you die. Silly girl. People who fall asleep in the snow never wake up."

"But it's not snowing," she contradicted. In fact, it was lightly raining.

But she was numb.

"Here it isn't," he amended. "But you do have that habit of sleep walking sometimes."

It was snowing. She was lying in the snow, staring up at a black, rippling sea. No, that was the sky, still trying to devour a hazy moon.

She heard his voice in her head.

_"I'll see you in thirteen days. Remember—time is short."_

* * *

I don't dare to take it slowly  
'Cause time may pass me by  
Restless like a new born morning  
I am hard to satisfy

Will you take me away?

In the silence of the darkness  
I can't pretend I'm wide awake  
Afraid I could go under  
In the silence of the darkness  
I stumble for the light of day  
But the journey never ends

I can paint the world with flowers  
That grows by heaven's gate  
Reckless like the stormy ocean  
I could cover them with hate

But it all sounds the same

In the silence of the darkness  
I can't pretend I'm wide awake  
Afraid I could go under  
In the silence of the darkness  
I stumble for the light of day  
But the journey never ends

In the silence of the darkness  
I can't pretend I'm wide awake  
Afraid I could go under  
In the silence of the darkness  
I stumble for the light of day  
But the journey never ends

"Silence of the Darkness" - Kamelot

* * *

**Thank you for reading! ! ! I hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE REVEIW! i would really love to hear what you though of it.**

**info: The blue light that Sarah saw in the forest, led her to the circle, that was a will-o-wisp. They are said to appear and lead people to fairy gatherings, if you don't get lost following them.  
perianth- part of a flower. really, i just needed a word to rhyme with "Labyrinth"  
and ALL of the rhyming is my own!**

**there will probably be sequal.**

thank you!


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